The department of health 2010 defines long term condition as “one that

The department of health (2010) defines long term condition as “one that can’t be cured but can be controlled with the use of medication and or other therapies.” This essay will explore holistic care given to an individual living with a schizophrenia. The Oxford Dictionary (2018) defines schizophrenia as a “long-term mental disorder involving the breakdown of thought, emotion, and behaviour, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions and feelings, withdrawal from reality and personal relationships into fantasy and delusion”. It will also look at the role of the nurse in the management of the condition and the effects it has on the family, the patient and the community. In line with the nursing and midwifery council (NMC) (2015) confidentiality will be maintain throughout and the patient will be known as David.David is a 27-year-old afro Caribbean who is known to the mental health services, with an established diagnosis of schizophrenia. He lives with his family who had migrated from the Caribbean when David was 10. He was arrested and brought to the custody suite following an assault on one of his lecturers at his university. He was presented with thought disorder which was bizarre in nature with flight of ideas and pressure of speech. He was displaying delusional ideas which was persecutory in nature and was becoming confrontational and agitated when talking about his lecturers at university. It was difficult to engage him in a conversation and he had poor insight into his difficulties and the need for medication. David appeared to have a relapse of his mental illness and warrant further treatment and assessment on the ward. Brown et al (2010) states that while a high proportion responds to treatment with antipsychotic around 80% will relapse within 5 years of a treated first episode of schizophrenia which is partly due to medication discontinuation. David can be verbally abusive towards his family stating that they have taken his money and is working with the illuminati, he can also be suspicious and paranoid. It was also noted that his delusions and hallucinations were religious associated, Lyassu et al (2014) states that religious delusion occur between one fifth and two third of patients with schizophrenia and Cannon & Kramer (2012) also stated that delusions and hallucinations differs across countries and culture. It is estimated that 1% of the United Kingdom population suffers from schizophrenia (Innovate UK 2015) and that an estimated 20 – 40% attempted suicide. Murray et al (2013) stated that schizophrenia falls into the top fifteen medical disorders causing disability around the world. A person suffering from schizophrenia is not always out of touch with reality, they can be hearing non-existence voices and responding to the voices or acting on them, (Gelkopf et al 2012). However, Moritz et al (2013) found that some of the symptoms such as hearing voices had a positive meaning for the person suffering from schizophrenia and altering these with medication was undesirable. Seeing things or people which aren’t there, accusatory, withdrawn all of which David is experiencing and displaying. Schizophrenia affects more men in the 16 – 25 age group but is higher in women in the 25 – 30 age group (International Statistical Classification of Diseases, (ICD-10), 2019). Wahlbeck et al (2011) noted that males with schizophrenia dies 25 years earlier and women 15 years earlier than the general population. Hor & Taylor (2010) also stated that death amongst people with schizophrenia is 50% above the general population which is partly due to suicide, violent death and an increase risk of a wide range of physical health problems. According to Gilmore (2010) having a close relative with psychosis or schizophrenia is the biggest risk factor for developing a psychotic disorder. Schizophrenia is characterized by two distinctive and predictable symptoms positive and negative symptoms. Among the various subtypes of schizophrenia is paranoid schizophrenia which is most commonly found and diagnosed, (ICD- 10, 2018). Schizophrenia has both positive and negative symptoms (Bloch et al, 2010). One may also develop schizophrenia when they react to a stressful experience or situation (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2019). It’s also one of the most misunderstood illness in society today that has a lot of stigma attached to it.Stigma is highly associated with people living with schizophrenia which is mainly due to unawareness or fear of the unknown among family members, friends and society at large. Ben-Zeev, Young & Corrigan (2010) states that member of the public was likely to stigmatize a person with mental illness even in the absence of any aberrant behaviour. Whenever an individual is identified as having schizophrenia he/she is seen as different which can have a devastating effect on them and their family, friends and the society on a whole. Societies negative views of schizophrenia and mental illness on a whole creates many drawbacks in diagnosing and treating the illness. The person suffering from schizophrenia can be made to feel inadequate and indifferent because of the label attached to it which has left many with a fleeting hope for justice. They experience a shameful exclusion wherever they go whether applying for a job, living independently or even in the prison system: which can result in fewer people with mental illness accessing health services.